The McMinnville Mammoth Site

This site that contains the remains of a Columbian Mammoth. During the summers of 2007 and 2009, volunteers from the local community and from scholastic institutions joined together to excavate a portion of the animal. In 2007, the site of an extinct giant bison was also tested. These projects are only possible because of a partnership between the City of McMinnville, the Thomas Condon Sate Museum of Fossils, the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project, and the Institute for Archaeological Studies. Images from two summers of testing the site will be posted shortly. In the interim, please check the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project’s website, and this website under the College Field Work pages.

Despite being only 33 meters apart, the Mammoth and Bison Sites reflect some surprising variations in depositional history.

Stratigraphy of the Mammoth Site

A non-credit class about paleoarchaeology was offered throughPortland Community College in August of 2010. This mini-course provided an opportunity for members of the public, including Seniors, to excavate at the McMinnville Mammoth Site. Participants learned proper methods while excavating a real paleontological site. Members of the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project were on site throughout the project to help enrich everyone’s experience. Those wishing course credit were required to contact their professors or advisors prior to the beginning of the project.

Stratigraphy of the Mammoth Site

A non-credit class about paleoarchaeology was offered throughPortland Community College in August of 2010. This mini-course provided an opportunity for members of the public, including Seniors, to excavate at the McMinnville Mammoth Site. Participants learned proper methods while excavating a real paleontological site. Members of the Yamhill River Pleistocene Project were on site throughout the project to help enrich everyone’s experience. Those wishing course credit were required to contact their professors or advisors prior to the beginning of the project.

This same class will be offered again soon. An additional location will be at Mammoth Park, where the remains of an extinct giant bison are the focus.

In the image to the left, a student from the 2009 class uncovers the tusk socket and partial tusk of a mammoth. After getting over his shock of the discovery, he did a brilliant job of excavating the specimen.

A special thanks to Barrier Corporation, for providing the special foam that allowed us to safely transport the tusk, when excavated, to the laboratory. Without the help of the Barrier Corporation, in Tigard, it would have been far more difficult and risky to move the tusk from its excavation area to the lab.